


all i want for christmas

by karmanisms



Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: Fluff and Crack, M/M, Road Trips, Supernatural Elements, self-indulgent as fuck so it's going to have loads of fluff and crack beware
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:14:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28189032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karmanisms/pseuds/karmanisms
Summary: But, here's the thing that Dowoon has learnt in the past year. When you love with reason and you love with measures, you never truly love. It is a feeling best felt in your heart than understood in your mind. To love wholeheartedly, is what he has learnt from the love that Sungjin, Jae, Younghyun and Wonpil share.or the one where dowoon plans a trip with his four roommates (who also happen to be dating each other) over the Holidays. in a weird turn of events, a little girl (who happens to be something more than meets the eye crashes their trip; a bunch of shenanigans ensue.
Relationships: Kang Younghyun | Young K/Kim Wonpil, Kang Younghyun | Young K/Kim Wonpil/Park Jaehyung | Jae/Park Sungjin/Yoon Dowoon, Kang Younghyun | Young K/Park Jaehyung | Jae, Kang Younghyun | Young K/Park Sungjin, Kang Younghyun | Young K/Yoon Dowoon, Kim Wonpil/Park Jaehyung | Jae, Kim Wonpil/Park Sungjin, Kim Wonpil/Yoon Dowoon, Park Jaehyung | Jae/Park Sungjin, Park Jaehyung | Jae/Yoon Dowoon, Park Sungjin/Yoon Dowoon
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

"Does this place look okay to you guys?"

"...It's a love motel." Dowoon's cheeks heat up at the prospect of spending a night at one.

"Personally, I think this is a lovely place to spend a night at. Just the five of us bundled together on a creaky little bed; condoms all around us instead of the same old and boring clichè bed of roses; premarital hip-to-hip touches as we try to fit ourselves in a circle so no one has to sleep on the floor. The most perfect Christmas ever as the motel's employees think we'll be enjoying a great orgy, a banana smoothie, if you will."

"Jae stop making this weird," Younghyun retorts, smacking him firmly as the others groan in unison, grunts of disgust leave their mouths. "You're scaring Dowoon."

When Dowoon suggested that they go on a trip (for reasons he wouldn't like to disclose just yet) during the godforsaken cold winter right around Christmas- after taking weeks to find the courage to put forward his preposition and still fumbling with his words- he was sure that at least one of the men would make sure to book a room or two in a cosy little hotel or inn so they can spend a night there. Little did he know, they're all a bunch of fools.

"I'm literally just listing all the reasons why we _should_ _not_ be spending the night here." Jae scrunches his face in disgust. "I don't think they maintain even a speck of hygiene. Not to mention, there may be a ton of aggressively heterosexual folks in there. I don't wanna to go back home with STDs." Jae clutches his chest as an agonizing grunt escapes his mouth- one filled with a dramatic tinge of misery.

They've paused right outside the main gate of the dark establishment fenced with signs lit up by red lights. One particularly repulsively shady sign of a perky woman being ogled at by dudes loosely hangs off from the side of the stone wall. It gives them the creeps.

"I've checked the map already, and there are no other inns or hotels for miles together. We have no choice," Wonpil explains, looking constipated at the thought of having to spend the night at this dingy old place.

"Well, then I guess we've got no choice boys. Let's get going." Sungjin announces, ushering them all forward.

The five men unload all their freight after having parked in the parking lot that felt less parking lot-ish and more like a, holy-shit-why-are-people-dryhumping-each-other-already, and oh-lordie-this-lady-pulled-out-this-man's-dick-in-the-parking-lot-what-the-fuck-get-me-out-of-here kind of situation.

"Tis a nice way to keep warm, I guess." Younghyun jokes, stealing a flabbergasted glance at the scene.

"Wouldn't you know about it, Younghyun!?"

"I prefer enclosed areas, thank you very much."

At the front desk, upon general consensus, Sungjin is appointed to ask about a vacant room.

("Why me?"

"You're hot, I'm sure you've been to a place like this at least once. We don't call you a dilf for nothing."

"That's some fucked up logic.")

"Excuse me," Sungjin starts politely, knocking at the wooden desk. The man with a scruffy beard who had been dozing off, jerks awake, almost falling out of his chair. Wonpil lets out a hiccuping giggle but is soon cut off when the man glares at him.

"Is there a room available here?"

The man tips off his shades, bleak eyes scan the five men and zone in on Sungjin. "One room for five people?" he inquires, scratching his beard just a little. His eyes narrow down to a slit as he waits for a reply.

"We're really horny." Wonpil mewls. "Can you please hand us the keys already?"

_ He used his bedroom voice _ , Dowoon can't help but think to himself. Dowoon inhales a sudden ragged breath, making him cough a little as he's left surprised. As Wonpil tries to pat his back soothingly, he tries not to make another sound.

The receptionist nods, still unconvinced. He eyes them warily as he hands Sungjin the keys and gives him the directions to the room. 

"There's a box that's already kept in there, but…." The man pulls a box of condoms from his drawer. "Looks like you guys will need more."

"Ahahaha no," Younghyun starts, a fake chuckle comes into play. "We like bare-backing," he throws over his shoulders as he quickly pushes the other men ahead, making Jae stumble on his feet, both - due to laughter and the outrageousness of the situation.

They pass by the barely-there fireplace at the centre of the motel's lobby. Its flames are barely ablaze, soot covers the surrounding floor, making Wonpil sneeze a little before they quickly leave it behind. 

The men ascend the creaking wooden stairs that are noisier than rusty old doors in horror movies. They locate the room on the first floor and stroll through the hallways.

Dowoon tries to block out all the groans and moans escaping the thin walls of the rooms fencing the corridors as they pass them by. He never imagined that he'd be spending Christmas Eve surrounded by sounds of skin slapping against skin and profanities being yelled out as people ask to get rammed and railed at the top of their lungs.

_ Now, this is what I call a Nightmare before Christmas,  _ Dowoon thinks to himself as they finally reach their assigned room and drop their belongings in it, heaving a sigh of relief.

"We won't fit on this bed," Wonpil mutters, stuffing himself between Younghyun and Sungjin by the headboard of the bed. 

"I'm not taking the floor and that's final," Jae counters, hogging half the bed as he spreads his limbs like a humongous octopus.

"Dowoon and I can take the floor, no worries," says Sungjin.

"Speak for yourself," Dowoon counters, sitting beside Jae at the foot of the bed.

"See, looks like I was right. Maybe we really are going to sleep hip-to-hip in a circle tonight." Jae dusts off the sheets on his side. 

"Who needs sleep? We're staying in here only so that we don't die of hypothermia, and all these loud moans won't let us sleep, anyway. Let's just stay up all night and watch some movies together. I bet there might be a silly little hallmark movie on TV!" Wonpil interjects, the only one still kind of cheerful despite the situation. "If this TV works, that is," he adds, aggressively tapping a few buttons on the remote control.

After a lot of smacking- not asses, just the remote control and TV, of course- the television finally starts working. Their meticulous debates and arguments make them finally settle on watching  _ Home Alone, since _ none of them are in the mood for some silly old rom-com.

As the movie progresses further, Jae ends up lying his head on Sungjin's folded lap and he asks (more like whines and begs) the man to run soothing circles in his hair.

"Put your fingers to good use."

"Do you need to make everything sound like an innuendo?"

"It was an innocent little request. Now, if I added  _ 'daddy'  _ after that then maybe-" 

"That's enough." Sungjin muffles the rest of his words with a hand pressed against Jae's mouth. With the other, he massages the elder's scalp. Somewhere down the line, he bends forward and lands a kiss on Jae's head, but no one needs to know that bit of information, of course.

When Wonpil sees that Dowoon has his shoulders hunched lower so he doesn't block Wonpil and Younghyun's view, he asks Dowoon to lean his back against his tummy for support- that he doesn't mind. Dowoon protests a little until he feels Younghyun tugging him behind and letting him lean against him.

Though Dowoon refuses to admit it out loud, the warmth radiating off of him feels cosy. The broken heater really wasn't helping their case, anyway. Now that they're all a mess of entangled limbs and ruffled hair, battling the cold feels a lot easier.

He definitely didn't expect something like this to ever come to pass in his life. but everything changed after he met four other 

He comes from small-town Busan where he'd interact with people only when it's necessary. When he'd asked Jieun if she could help him find a place in the city that he could lease for a year or so, he didn't expect to come crash landing on the group of men currently splayed all around him on the bed.

He was surprised that the apartment's owner would even need to find an extra tenant in the 3 bedroom apartment already occupied by 4 others, but on checking the place and speaking to his potential roommates there he found out that one of the bedrooms had been left practically abandoned as they preferred to room in pairs. 

That was kind of a relief for Dowoon since he didn't have to pay much rent in the apartment and he could have a room all to himself at a cheaper rate than usual.

That's all Dowoon expected his relationship with the men would be- just roommates and acquaintances. Little did he know…

He's glad none of them are overbearing or weirdos, and they love wholeheartedly. He may be the odd one out, but they always try to include him and make him feel welcome.

As they laugh over the antics of the shady trio of antagonists in the movie, Dowoon counts his blessings. He feels Younghyun's lips ghosting over the crown of his head, and a sigh escapes him.

"I used to think I was a monkey and I'd always make monkey noises. One winter, smack in the middle of December, I tried to swing from branch to branch and ended up celebrating Christmas with a plaster around my arm," Wonpil explains between his hiccuping chuckles.

"I wanna hear how you sound." Dowoon perks up. Silence befalls them for a few moments, until Wonpil jumps out of bed and lets out a loud monkey-like screech that scares the living daylights out of the rest of the men.

Rambunctious laughter bounces off of the walls of the room as they process whatever just happened and applaud Wonpil for how accurate he sounded.

"I tried to hop off a roof because I thought I could fly like the descending snowflakes right around Christmas," Dowoon adds.

"Did it work?"

"Yup, I have hidden wings."

"Okay Batwoon." Younghyun teases.

"I miss making sweets during Christmas," he says. He'd been silent for the most part, watching the others with a soft smile on his face. "It used to be really fun as a kid."

"I think we can all agree on that." Jae nods

"I had a terrible sugar rush this one time where my dog and I wrecked havoc in the pantry and backyard," Younghyun chuckles as he reminiscences his past. "I'm sure we'd all like to go back to those carefree days." 

The others nod along, heaving identical sighs as they snuggle closer to each other to try and replicate that familial warmth from the past. Dowoon doesn't know how they manage this- a healthy polyamorous relationship with each other, despite their clashing schedules and opposing personalities- but he longs to have something just like this.

If he were to be completely honest, he wishes he could have what they have, but  _ not _ with someone else. 

Somewhere between being roommates with them for a year; to befriending them over morning tea; to having deep chats with them on the apartment complex's terrace; to spending more time with them than with his own friends outside of work; Dowoon's heartstrings found their way home. 

He looks back on the days when he asked Sungjin how exactly he was sure that he didn't have favorites, and he loved all his partners equally. Sungjin had placed his teacup aside and gently accepted Dowoon's empty one as he flashed Dowoon a tender smile that reached his eyes, and a gentle pat on his head was all the answer he'd gotten in reply before he took the cups and saucers to the kitchen, leaving Dowoon confused and wanting to know more.

But, here's the thing that Dowoon has learnt in the past year. When you love with reason and you love with measures, you  _ never _ truly  _ love.  _ It is a feeling best felt in your heart than understood in your mind.

He has seen the way they all work together as missing pieces of a puzzle. Sure, there are arguments, loads of it even, one worse than another, but they always find their way back to each other.

To love wholeheartedly, is what he has learnt from the love that Sungjin, Jae, Younghyun and Wonpil share. 

His yearning heart latched onto that sense of familiarity that held them together, and let it transcend his platonic feelings towards them.

_ This may not be the most luxurious Christmas,  _ Dowoon thinks,  _ but something tells me it's going to be one of the most memorable ones. _

With that thought in mind Dowoon falls asleep.

The next morning, he doesn't expect to wake up sandwiched between Younghyun and Wonpil, trying to cuddle each other, their limbs snuggled tucked around each other comfortably, and hands in Dowoon's hair.

His body stays stiffly constricted between them, but he somehow manages to lift his head off of his pillow and glances at the foot of the bed to find Jae half-lying on Sungjin's chest, their legs pretzel-ed together and folded in half to make space for him, Wonpil and Younghyun's legs around them. 

The drapes, or the shredded remains of one, dangling delicately from the rod, casts a glowing incandescent shadow all around the room as the rays of the morning sun disperse past them.

In due time, as the rays grow more dull, the remaining men wake up one by one and take turns to freshen up; not without Wonpil first pestering everyone for his morning kisses, some longer than others (re: Younghyun and Wonpil), but thankfully Sungjin stops Wonpil before they turn into a full blown makeout. Wonpil even manages to pull Dowoon into the mix, dropping a soft peck against his forehead, with Dowoon's consent, of course.

They check all their belongings one last time before exiting the room. Descending down the stairs, they make their way to the front desk again.

"Good news for you. We didn't use any of the condoms," says Jae smugly, as he returns the keys. "It's the most fun we've had, though," Younghyun adds, smirking at the rest. Sungjin tries to hide his snickers. "We'll surely recommend this place to other people," Dowoon mutters, despite himself.

"Thank you, sirs. Please do visit  _ Love Talk  _ again sometime,'' the receptionist says. His face turns a sickly pale, probably at the prospect of the 5 five of them fitting in the bed and going at it all night.

Wonpil's hiccuping laughter echoes in the parking lot as he finally lets go of it freely. "Did he really believe our lie? God, Younghyun hyung's exaggerated lip-bite is the fakest shit I've seen in my life"

"Wanna say it again, bunny boy?" Younghyun leaps forward, caging Wonpil against the car. "Yes, it was fake as fuck," Wonpil bites back, not missing a beat, a smirk prominent on his face.

"You've just got to accept the fact that you can't ever be as effortlessly sexy as Sungjin hyung," Dowoon whispers against Younghyun's ear as a way of distraction so Wonpil can escape.

"Enough now." Sungjin peels Dowoon and Younghyun away from the car by the waist, and gets into the driver's seat. "Why are you two always so horny in the morning?"

"It's called having a youthful libido," Wonpil announces matter-of-factly. "...but it's okay, we get it, you and Jae hyung are boomers or whatever."

"Hey, why are you dragging me in this?" Jae narrows his eyes at Wonpil but relaxes against Younghyun's shoulder when the younger pecks his nose cutely. "Let's get in already," Younghyun whispers.

Wonpil scurries away and gets in right beside Sungjin, sticking a tongue out to tease Dowoon who'd been wanting to ride shotgun for a while.

They're all practically starving and in need of food, so they stop by a convenience store for a quick meal right down the road and return to the car.

Jae pulls Younghyun into the back seat with him, right behind a yawning Dowoon, who's still half-asleep and keeps staring out the window until they're out on the main road again. Dowoon goes to scoot a little further against the window but something squishy yet stiff presses against him. The sensation scares the hell out of him because it feels very human and  _ very much alive _ . 

Dowoon clutches Jae's thigh in horror as the black shadow on his left turns out to be a little girl dressed in all black. 

"Woah, what the fuck! I thought this black thing against the seat was Sungjin's bag!?" Jae screeches as his eyes land on the girl who confusedly scrunches her face and rubs the sleep out of her eyes.

"Wh- who are you?" Dowoon counters.

"Kim Aara."

"What are you doing in here all by yourself? More importantly, how did you get in?" Younghyun narrows his eyes at Jae, who refuses to meet his gaze.

"My parents are stuck in a blizzard in the heart of Seoul and they forgot all about me here, like in  _ Home Alone." _

"No way. How come they're so careless?" Sungjin's eyebrows crease in confusion. "Don't worry. We'll get you to them."

"Sungjin, we've got a long trip planned ahead of us," Jae spits between gritted teeth. "We can't leave her here. You know how unsafe the world is, in this day and age," Sungjin corrects him, with a quirked eyebrow meaning no one's going to be able to change his mind.

  
  
  
  


"I just spoke to your father." Younghyun pockets his phone with a concerned sigh. "He says there's no way for them to meet us halfway. I think you're going to have to tag along with us until the weather condition is slightly under control."

"Works for me." Aara replies, beginning to run her fingers through her hair.

"Aren't you cold in the least bit?" 

"Oh don't worry about me." Aara stretches her arms over her head. "It's quite warm in here." She tucks her dress comfortably around her, smiling up at Jae.

"He's asking you this because his old bones are rattling in the cold," Younghyun teases, reaching his hand out towards Aara for a high-five, who spares him a condescending glance. 

"Hahaha not funny." Jae rolls his eyes.

"You look around his age. You must be cold, too," says Aara, rolling the sleeves of her full-sleeved dress. 

Younghyun's face goes red out of embarrassment as Dowoon tries to bite back his giggles behind Aara. "That was a nice one, Aara." Jae bumps his fist against hers. 

"I'm stuck with kids." Sungjin rolls his eyes.

"Hey, you're going to offend Aara." Wonpil gasps dramatically.

"I'm not a kid, not really," Aara replies, matter-of-factly.

"You're a big girl, we get it," says Dowoon.

"No, that's not….um never mind," she says, fiddling with her fingers.

"Music anyone?"

"Hit it!"

Wonpil is their official jukebox. Nothing he plays ever misses. They know he's got the most immaculate taste in music and everyone respects him for that. 

"Oh, thank God, it's not that nosebleed-inducing loud boom-boom, grrr grrr, skrrt skrrt music that the youth listen to these days," Aara drawls.

"Never seen anyone EDM as such before, but yes I agree." Wonpil chuckles. "That was a very boomer thing to say though."

"My palate is quite refined when it comes to music, thank you very much," Aara retorts, crossing her legs as she looks out the window with an upturned chin.

"The Victorian era aura that she has, man…" Younghyun whispers against Jae's ear. "True."

"Whose brilliant plan was it to make the five of you spend Christmas out in the snow instead of the warmth of your own home? Did you know the average human can bear only so much?"

All the gazes zero in on Dowoon, who glares at them, offended. "Hey, you guys could've denied me. I didn't hold a gun against your head."

"We wanted this as much as he did," Sungjin explains. "Work was quite hectic this year, and this seemed like a good enough way to unwind," Wonpil adds.

"That…" Jae starts, wrapping an arm around Dowoon's middle. "...and Dowoon has us wrapped around his finger, so, of course, we couldn't say no."

Dowoon whines a little as tries to push Jae's face away. "You're being gross,'' he whines.

He bites back the shy smile threatening to bloom on his lips as his eyes meet Younghyun's, and he flashes the kind of smile at Dowoon that makes butterflies explode in his belly. 

"It's our first Christmas with Dowoon since he moved in with us," Younghyun explains.

"You humans are weird." Aara tilts her face to the side. 

"What do you mean?" 

"His heartbeat rose up erratically and so did his serotonin levels- isn't that what you guys call those happy chemicals in your brain? Yet, he tried to act like he's annoyed." Aara probes, her eyes a thin sliver as she watches Dowoon's face get drained of its colour.

"Is that true, Woonie?" Younghyun perks up, interested. "Of course not!" Dowoon's pitch rises higher in embarrassment. "She's just a child." ( _ A child who's way too observant for her own good," Dowoon thinks to himself) _

  
  
  
  


"Must we really buy clothes?"

"You said your shoulder bag only has necessities that you're allowed to use and…" Sungjin vaguely gestures towards the chameleon nestled against her neck, staring him down. ".... your little friend."

"His name's Steve," Aara corrects.

"You can't be roaming around in this dress that barely cancels out the cold." Sungjin tugs Aara by the hand into the winter wear section of the clothing store.

Jae and Younghyun follow Sungjin around closely, making sure he doesn't go overboard and try to smother the poor girl with an avalanche of new clothes. They're well aware that he tends to bite off more than he can chew sometimes.

Dowoon bemusedly waits by the sweaters section with Wonpil by his side, and watches Sungjin frantically maneuver past ladies scouring through clothes for their kids. With experience, they're obviously more relaxed as compared to Sungjin looking a little riled up. 

"We need to fit you in at least three more layers." He says as he glances through various racks and displays dispersed around them.

"His  _ papa bear _ mode is really something, isn't it?" Wonpil gazes at Sungjin- equal parts affectionate and concerned. Dowoon hums in reply.

"A warm sweater, a cardigan or maybe a jacket….and also leggings. Sungjin ticks the items off on his fingers one by one as he tries to locate the different items. "Oh, and gloves…that should be it." 

He tips off a pair of earmuffs from the aisle and places them on Aara's head, glancing at her with a satisfactory smile. "Great!"

When Sungjin's boyfriends aren't on the receiving end of Sungjin's coddling, it's actually quite hilarious to see him microanalyse all their requirements and fuss over things. 

Sungjin's usual warnings go ike- "Jae don't sit before your computer for too long, it'll strain your eyes" and "Younghyun stop yelling so much, it'll hurt your throat"; never have they ever been like- "Aara go try on these shoes" and "Aara please don't let the damn chameleon squat on Dowoon's head. That's traumatizing".

Dowoon watches Sungjin's eyebrows crease in concentration as he skims through the jackets on display.

After driving around for an hour or two, Younghyun realised that Aara doesn't have another change of clothes; especially not warm clothes that could shield her against the cold, so Sungjin decided that everything else can wait- shopping for Aara's clothes is more important.

Sungjin looks absolutely adorable as he tries to go back and forth between his options and tries to choose between two pairs of gloves that appear identical but Sungjin swears they're different.

A woman, probably in her mid-thirties, slides by Sungjin and grabs a hold of a purple cardigan Sungjin had set aside for Aara. Sungjin's eyebrows furrow into a thin line as she walks away. He manages to snatch the hem before she goes too far though.

"I'm sorry, that's taken already," he says, tightening his grip around the neck of the cardigan. 

"Too late, my daughter likes it more," the woman replies, trying to tug it away, her fingers try to peel Sungjin's hand away.

"Maybe you didn't hear it correctly," Sungjin explains, condescending. "Aara chose it first." He grits his teeth, tugging the cardigan closer to him, making the woman stumble against the smooth marble floor.

"Let go of it!" The woman retorts, pushing her curls away from her face as her voice drops to a threateningly low octave as she narrows her eyes at Sungjin. Her free hand goes up to push Sungjin away by the shoulder.

Before the argument could get any worse, Younghyun manages to haul Sungjin away as Jae apologizes to the lady on his behalf. He smooths out the creases on the cardigan before delicately handing it over to her. The woman huffs, muttering some light profanities under her breath before strutting away with her daughter.

A few more people pass by them, directing judgemental glances Sungjin's way, but he easily dodges them with his head ducked below in embarrassment as Younghyun guides him towards Wonpil and Dowoon leaning against an aisle with other accessories and jewelry.

"Calm down, tiger mom. That was so uncalled for!" 

"I don't know what took over me," Sungjin mutters, embarrassed, planting his face in his hands. "I just knew I had to buy it 'cause Aara said she liked it, but now it's gone."

"Drink some of this and keep your calm, please." Wonpil hands Sungjin a bottle of water, that he gulps down conveniently.

He goes back to scanning different styles of different winter wear he can get his hands on.

"Does black look okay to you?" Sungjin holds a black turtleneck sweater before Aara, an expectant smile on his lips.

"None of this looks okay. I'm not changing into new clothes." Aara crosses her arms across her chest, shifting her weight from foot to foot, just like Sungjin does when he scolds Wonpil for eating in his bed and dropping crumbs of biscuit on it. Steve sticks his tongue out for a moment, almost as if he's mocking Sungjin.

"Oh, but you must listen to me, young lady. You don't have a choice. I'm not going to let you freeze because you think nothing's prettier than your dress." _Typical adolescent behaviour,_ Sungjin thinks.

"You don't get to dictate what I need to do."

Sungjin wordlessly strolls closer to her and holds out two pairs of pants, hoodies and jackets towards her. "Go try it on."

"Fine," Aara rolls her eyes. "Let's go Steve." She gently pats the chameleon's back. She tugs the jacket and pants from Sungjin's hands before walking over to the changing room while mumbling something incoherent about  _ blue skin  _ and  _ obligations.  _

"She's as sassy as you are, when you're upset, Sungjinnie." Jae gapes after a while of awkward silence. "That is amazing."

"She's pretty sassy in general, though, unlike me. I used to be a super shy kid," Sungjin retorts, clearly offended.

"You get sassier when you're ho-" Younghyun muffles the rest of Wonpil's words when he sees Aara rush out of the stall.

"All good?" Sungjin inquires with a quirk of an eyebrow. Aara nods, disinterested as she hands the clothes back to him. 

"Hey, how about you guys get something for yourselves too? Since it's Christmas and all," suggests Aara with newfound enthusiasm.

She shimmies over to a rack with colourful knit sweaters in the adult size. "These look comfy, don't they?" She innocently bats her eyelashes at the one closest to her in that moment- Wonpil being her victim.

"Oh, I really love this one!" Wonpil exclaims, getting his hands on a pink sweater that looks a lot uglier than what it's worth. His eyes light up in excitement.

"You have terrible taste." Jae groans as Wonpil drapes the sweater across his chest, making gagging noises. "Stop bullying him." Younghyun smacks Jae for the nth time. "Let him be."

"I'm buying it anyway." Wonpil rolls his eyes. He glares up at Jae once before flinging the sweater onto his shoulder. "Change my mind."

  
  
  
  


Somehow, they end up at IKEA right after it, courtesy of Kim Wonpil. One look at the store across the shopping centre they'd been at, and Wonpil decided that they can't go in without visiting it.

He attests that they must do this as another form of bonding during the Holidays, but everyone already knows that his actual motive is to raid the beds and sloth around for a while before they hit the road again.

"Wouldn't it be amazing to own a big and luxurious house where we'd all live together comfortably, preferably with a pretty garden and a room with some dope sound system, so we can marathon movies together on the weekend while melding together in a big cuddle pile?" Younghyun pauses and sighs dreamily. "Oh, what a lovely thing to dream of."

"You do have a point." Wonpil sprints out of his seat and drags Jae and Sungjin with him, who in turn drag Younghyun and Dowoon with them, stuffing themselves on the comfortable green couch, their arms splayed out against the backrest. "A regular Monday night after moving into our new house where we watch a sitcom together before dinner is served," Wonpil narrates.

"What is this roleplay?" Sungjin chuckles.

"We're just going to pretend this is our dream home for a while, ya know, just the usual," Wonpil explains, cheesing from ear to ear. 

"But why am I here?" Dowoon inquires.

"You'll move in with us, of course. We won't be able to live without seeing you everyday," says Younghyun as if it's the most obvious thing. 

"But-" Dowoon tears up a little, but quickly wipes it away with his sweater paws. Of course he'd love to move in with them, but it won't be that simple. They probably mean it out of a sense of habit, at best. 

Aara who had been examining the woodwork of a coffee table a few metres apart, prances over to the group of men and eyes them weirdly. "What's going on here?"

"We're playing pretend, apparently." Dowoon confesses. 

"Oh there she is," Jae starts. "Our daughter needs to be catered to as well."

"Daughter?" she stares down at Jae quizically. "The five of you can barely look after yourself, let alone a tiny human who'd need to be dependent on you."

"We look after ourselves just fine," Sungjin counters, daring her to question the authenticity of his statement.

"Is it now?" Aara saunters up to them with the twinkle of an eye and a skip in her step. "How often do you find hair lying against a surface or in a corner and ignore it?"

"I-"

"How many times have you ended up falling asleep with your glasses on?"

"Hey, I get tired, alright?"

"I'm sure there have been times where you run out of certain grocery items and then find yourself turning to heating up microwaveable food packages. Am I right or am I right?"

"It's not that often, I swear."

"I bet you guys end up getting ink on your clothes every now and then as well.''

"Listen-"

"I rest my case." Aara triumphantly smirks at the quintet, before flicking her wrist around and bowing before them like she just finessed her best magic trick before them, leaving them astonished and grasping for words. 

"Now, if I'm not mistaken, I'm sure you guys wish to head to the bed's section," she adds, over her shoulder, shimmying away. Steve perched on her shoulder, sways his curled tail gracefully from side to side so as to mock them.

"On the contrary…." argues Younghyun, persistent. "We're heading off to the kitchen, so we can have a gourmet experience. Now, if you'll excuse us." Younghyun sprints away, hiding his embarrassment behind his quick footsteps, the others follow suit.

Once they've all stalked over to the kitchen appliances section, Jae picks up a spatula and flings it across the room, aiming it at a wooden keychain hanger thingy attached to a shelf. Coincidentally, Wonpil happens to be within the range and the spatula misses him by a hair's breadth.

"That's it. Run for your life!" Wonpil yells, charging after Jae at top speed who rushes past Aara, almost knocking her off her feet. She spares the two of them an annoyed glare before observing the others.

"So what's the menu for today?" Sungjin inquires.

"Probably just pan-fried skittles since Jae hyung has a million different allergies that you need to be careful of," Dowoon shrugs.

Younghyun lets out a roar of laughter, smacking Dowoon's arms in the process. "You're a natural comedian, I tell you. " 

"Sadly, my humour won't fill our stomach. Go along and chop the vegetables already," Dowoon whines.

"Ahh, you're getting in character huh? That's nice, but don't act like a misogynistic boyfriend barking orders at his girlfriend," Sungjin adds, cornering Dowoon against the kitchen island.

"I…. I didn't mean to," Dowoon mumbles timidly.

Sungjin whips his head around and locks eyes with Younghyun, they burst into a short fit of giggles. "You're really cute when you think you commited a grave crime," starts Sungjin, massaging his Dowoon's shoulders. "Relax a little, bub."

"Run! Run! Run!" Jae's blood-curdling screeches resound across the lobby as he tries to run past them. 

"They're calling the guards on us for messing around and almost breaking a thing or two. Let's fucking go!" Wonpil explains jogging over to them. "We may or may not have gotten just a tinisy-winsy bit frisky and-"

Loud footsteps of boots clambering towards them, makes Wonpil's face get drained of its colour. He takes Aara away by the wrist and yells for the others to follow suit. 

"This house is a fucking nightmare," Sungjin whispers under his breathe before ushering Younghyun and Dowoon after Wonpil and running right behind them at top speed.

  
  
  
  
  
  


"I didn't know you were into braids." Younghyun hands him a hair-tie from the new packet they bought for Aara. "It's chill," Dowoon replies nonchalantly, before accepting the hair-tie and fastening it around Aara's braided hair he'd been working on. "Now, only if I had a flower to add to this…"

Wonpil wordlessly scampers out towards a bush at the side of the pavement where they are currently parked. He plucks a singular pink flower from it with an excited grin as it blooms under the blazing sun. He rushes back into the car right next to Aara and weaves it into her hair with the help of a bobby pin. After tucking a few loose strands of hair behind her ear, he smiles at her, satisfied with the end result.

"You look like an angel!" Younghyun gasps, when Aara glances at him with uncertainty.

"How did you know?" Aara glances up at him, startled. "You are so dramatic!" Dowoon chuckles.

As Jae and Sungjin appear outside their car with both hands fully occupied, Younghyun and Wonpil help them get all the food inside and they comfortably get seated inside.

"I'm going to sit up there." Aara points towards the opening in the car's ceiling, fit for 2 adults to snake through and let their hair loose in the flowing wind. 

"Let me help-" Aara ignores Jae's assistance as she leaps from one lap to another and grips the edge of the ceiling, quickly hauling herself higher and sits on top. Jae reaches up, erect, and hands her her boxed meal that she hesitantly accepts.

"So, what's the plan now that we've got to keep this PG-13?" Jae inquires around a mouthful of rice.

"Well, alcohol and partying are out of the question," Younghyun starts, mockingly. "So are strip clubs and vaping," Wonpil adds, looking all serious.

"I was genuinely wondering but you know what, never mind." Jae rolls his eyes.

"The ice-skating gig is still on though, right?," Dowoon proposes. "I'm sure the frozen lake has a really thick layer of firm ice this time. It'll be fun." 

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

"I could've sworn we passed by this road before, and there wasn't a hint of a life here…." Dowoon whispers to Younghyun, who nods in agreement. "I think so, too, but the proof's against us right before our eyes," Younghyun explains, nudging in the direction of a cosy little cottage decked in cream paint and an outline of plants with leaves dusted with specks of snow.

They're here to drop off an  _ ahjumma  _ they met outside a grocery store on their way to the frozen lake. She insisted that her bags weren't too heavy and home close by, but Jae's persistence made her stop resisting and she got into the last seat of their rented car which had been mostly occupied by their luggage as Sungjin asked for the directions to her house.

True to her words, her house- a cottage surrounded by snow-covered trees and a wide span of open space, unhindered by the smoke and noise released by vehicles and other such mechanisations- stood a few blocks away from the grocery store.

"You boys better come inside and have a taste of my chocolate cupcakes for being such helpful gentlemen," she says, once they unload her bags and help her carry them into her house. "Especially you." She smiles down at Aara and pats Steve.

"We don't want to impose on you. Besides, we're out on a trip, our next stop is the frozen lake right around here and then we'll go stay the night at the hotel right across from it," Younghyun explains, sheepishly.

"The lake isn't frozen enough yet. It isn't safe for you boys to go ice-skating there tonight."  _ ahjumma  _ replies. "And you can stay the night here. My son and his kids won't be making the trip here this year. It'll be nice to have some company," she replies earnestly.

Wonpil, ever the softest one of the quintet, feels his heart break at the pure look of excitement shining on her at the prospect of having people over for Christmas, and maybe wanting to nurse her pain- of not getting to spend it with her kids- away like that.

"As long as you let us help you with the dinner," starts Wonpil, wiping his stray tear away. 

"Of course! I don't mind," she replies.

They follow her into her living room furnished with gorgeous furniture- probably bought together as a set, if the carvings on the coffee table and the design across the back rest of the couch are anything to go by- making the men glance around the room in awe. The wooden floor smooth and clear- welcomes them.

"Isn't this exactly the kind of house you said you wanted to move into?" Wonpil whispers to Younghyun. "This feels like a beautiful dream that I don't want to wake up from," Younghyun replies, heaving a blissful sigh.

Once their introductions are out of the way, ahjumma Sunhee explains where all the utensils and tools in the kitchen are located, so that they can access them easier.

"You should go rest by yourself in the living room with Aara. Rest assured, we've got this covered," Younghyun explains excitedly to ahjumma Sunhee.

With that, they divide the different kitchen and dining responsibilities amongst themselves.

"I'm afraid that they're going to burn your house down in these two hours," Aara picks out fake lint off her sweater. "I'll monitor them for you."

"Yah! This smart ass!" Dowoon snaps back. 

"Fine. Suit yourself," Jae throws over his shoulder as he tugs Dowoon away with him so they can start chopping the veggies.

"I've prepared the meat already," mumbles ahjumma Sunhee. "Just work on the veggies and rice." She pats Sungjin on the shoulder before getting comfortable in her rocking chair in the backyard. 

  
  
  
  


"Is this supposed to have such thin consistency?" inquires Jae. He finds the dumpling pockets tearing as he tries to roll and stretch them out on the wooden board evenly. Though he hasn't done this by himself before, he was sure he had followed all the steps correctly.  _ Maybe it's the measurements that I've gotten wrong,  _ Jae thinks to himself. 

There's one golden rule when it comes to Asian cooking- you don't cook using measurements, you rely on feelings and vibes.

_ How much seasoning do you add? As much as pleases your heart. How much garlic goes in this? Just enough for it to not be overpowering. How much water do I add to this to get the right consistency and texture? As long as it's not too runny-  _ that's just how it's always been and how heirloom recipes and traditions are passed down generations. 

Of course, this practice stems from a long history of trial and error. Down the years, with ages of practice and understanding, you can  _ "follow your heart"  _ as mothers say, which is understandable.

But, Jae doesn't have enough time to do that now that he's in the middle of trying to rescue his stretchy dumpling dough, yet Jae tries his best to remember what his mum would do in such a situation.

"I didn't add enough flour, did I?" He winces. 

Jae and Dowoon were initially the ones supposed to chop the vegetables but halfway through it Jae switched places with Younghyun, using the excuse that he's too clumsy and no one would like fresh blood in their food.

Younghyun happily substitutes Jae's spot, glad that he doesn't have to exert too much pressure in kneading the dough. He's great at chopping vegetables as it is.  _ "It'll be fun,"  _ he thinks.

That is, until he sees how Dowoon's struggling beside him, like a baby trying to stand on their feet for the first time, and stumbling to stay stable. 

He chuckles a little before positioning himself behind Dowoon, his hands on either side of the man, fingers covering Dowoon's hands as he guides the man. Dowoon jumps a little as Younghyun's firm chest presses against his back, but relaxes when he realises that the older's just trying to help him, owing to Dowoon's cluelessness.

Due to their close proximity, Dowoon can feel Younghyun's breath fanning against the sensitive spot right behind Dowoon's ear and down his neck. He tries to push down the flush materialising on his cheeks and ears, but in vain.

He finds it hard to focus on the vegetables that Younghyun's currently helping him chop while simultaneously being hyperaware of the way Younghyun's rolled up sleeves lie snugly right below his elbow; and the waft of his cocoa butter fragranced moisturizer settles around Dowoon; and the way his hands gently cover Dowoon's fingers as he guides the knife up and down. 

Though he tries not to bask in Younghyun's warmth for too long, the feeling of Younghyun's sweater-covered chest feels warm and comfortable enough for Dowoon to lean into. His mind begins to wander off to an alternate universe where he'd like to bury his face against Younghyun's chest and fall asleep with the man's arms around him. 

As he loses his focus, the knife grazes his skin, slightly making the skin at the tip of his index finger peel a little. 

"Oh fuck. Dowoon-ah let me get you a bandaid real quick!" 

Before Dowoon is able to stop him, Younghyun rushes towards the cabinet towards the entrance of the kitchen, where he supposes the first aid box may be located.

"I'm not really hurt. It just lightly grazed my skin," Dowoon protests while holding his finger under the faucet of cold water. 

"In either case, you're going to need the band-aid," Younghyun replies, concerned as he gentle wraps the around the tip of Dowoon's finger. "As Jae hyung said, we don't need fresh blood in our food."

"Anyway, you can go saute the vegetables instead. I've already set the seasoning aside for you." Younghyun gives a Dowoon a gentle push forward in the general direction of the pan and oil.

"Just add more oil to the pan. You're going to burn something," Younghyun suggests Dowoon, who holds the spatula's tip as he tries to saute the finely chopped vegetables, scared that the oil might splutter around.

Wonpil blankly stares between two jars containing a white condiment like his life has been sucked out of him, and then proceeds to open one of it. The jar's lid has been fastened too firmly for Wonpil to be able to open it in one spin. He inhales a heavy breath and proceeds to use all his might to open the lid as best as he can. 

It springs open with a jerk sending the white powder flying up in his face, colouring his brown curls a dusty white, making him cough violently as it enters his nose.

"I didn't ask for a damn makeover," Wonpil mutters under his breath before making his way to the dining area in search of some clean tissue papers to help dust the white powder off of him. 

He buries his face into his shoulder as he feels a ticklish sensation arise in his nose, but forgets all about the mixture of corn starch and baking soda battered around on his turtleneck. He accidentally inhales a sizeable amount of the mixture and finds the ticklish sensation growing more intense, making him sneeze at least 5 times in a row on his way to get a hold of the tissue papers.

"Oh God, I accidentally got pepper in my eyes!" Sungjin yells, dropping the bottle of pepper powder onto the kitchen counter. 

He'd bean wanting to work on beef and sticky rice noodles for which he needed a good amount of pepper, since ahjumma Sunhee mentioned that she likes spicy food. 

He blindly reaches his arms around in every direction to look for the sink so he can quickly cleanse his eyes. On his way, he accidentally elbows Younghyun in the process, making him yelp in pain. 

As Younghyun turns towards Sungjin to find out what the chaos is all about, he watches the man step into the mess of the white powder in the floor, Sungjin slips a little, but soon catches his balance, making Younghyun sigh in relief.

As soon as Sungjin's sure he's close to the sink, his head harshly bumps into Jae, making him spill some water around the dough and let out a string of profanities, kicking Sungjin's shin in protest. 

"Ow. Who the fuck was that? Square up," Sungjin exclaims, blindly flailing his arms around to catch the culprit red-handed. "How dare you take advantage of me being unable to see because of the pepper," Sungjin whines when he's unable to do so.

Jae takes pity on his younger boyfriend and carefully guides Sungjin towards the sink. He washes Sungjin's eyes with plenty of water and wipes it with a dry towel. Before Sungjin can try and open his eyes again, he pecks Sungjin's eyes for good measure. 

"All good?" 

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry, Sungjinie. I thought it was Hyunie or Pil-ah trying to prank me or something."

"Hey, why us?" Younghyun retorts. "You didn't even mention Dowoon."

"Because I wouldn't do that to Dowoon. Dowoon's a cutie," Jae replies smugly, making Dowoon almost drop the spatula in the hot pan. "Hyung-ah I'm not cute," Dowoon whines, puffing his cheeks.

"You are."

"Maybe we shouldn't have stayed back and volunteered to help with the dinner." Dowoon says, successfully switching over. He finds himself cringing at the mess they've managed to make in a really short while. "We've been more of a nuisance than helpful."

"We're managing this just fine," Wonpil counters, walking back into the kitchen. "We're grown ass men doing perfectly fine as a unit in this kitchen."

"I can't believe you guys created the biggest mess I've ever seen in the span of 5 minutes, where I left Steve in the backyard with ahjumma Sunhee." Aara's monotonous voice shifts into that of someone genuinely shocked and surprised, for once. "And, here I thought the lot of you would manage it just fine."

"Yah! Stop trying to police us, you're only 8," Wonpil retorts, annoyed.

"And yet, I'm better at functioning in the kitchen without burning it down into flames," Aara replies, with her arms crossed across her chest, a smug smirk on her face.

"Younghyun and me work together quite well," Sungjin starts, "But you know what they say-  _ too many cooks spoil the broth."  _

Aara walks over to a drawer near the entrance, pulling out an apron for herself, and five consecutive bigger ones for the men, flinging it over in their direction. They quickly tie it around themselves without question. 

"I'm ready to assist you during this culinary journey," Aara starts, with an air of confidence. 

"Where do you even learn these words?" Jae inquires, helping Wonpil put on his apron.

"My mother enjoys cooking shows," she replies sheepishly.

"Let's get this show on the road, boys!" She puts her right arm forward, beckoning the others to come closer and put their hands above it.

"Let's go!" Their voices boom around the corridor as they raise their arms in the air with a new sense of eagerness.

  
  
  
  


As the night progresses further, and the aroma of delicious food swirls throughout the house, all those present settle around the table set in the patio illuminated by the fairy lights that Dowoon and Wonpil managed to put up before the food could be brought out to ahjumma Sunhee. 

Though the rest of the house appears rather naked for the occasion due to the lack of decorations other than the mini Christmas tree that ahjumma Sunhee put up by herself, the patio glows in all its mystic glory, as everyone gathers around to share in the delicious dinner prepared for the occasion.

"I'm starving," Younghyun whines, all ready to pounce on the barbeque'd pieces of meat on skewers. Before he can get his hands on the freshly cooked meat, Jae insists that they say a short prayer.

He asks everyone to shut their eyes as he recites a short, practiced prayer. Despite it, Dowoon squints one eye open and circles his eyes around the table, studying and memorizing the way everyone has a joyful glow on their faces. His hands are itching to capture these moments in his camera but he can't break his promise.

Aara catches him red-handed, tapping his shoulder to get his attention. "Close your eyes," she mouths. Dowoon shoots her a thumbs up and shuts his eyes again.

"Dowoon-ah, before we start, would you like to bring out your camera?" Sungjin inquires, a soft smile on his lips, right after Jae's done with his prayer. 

"But, I promised I wouldn't bring it here. This isn't time to work," Dowoon replies.

"We already know you can't live without it, and technically, we're not paying you, so this isn't work," says Wonpil, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

"We know you're itching to click some pictures around here. Your eyes tell," Younghyun adds. 

"I love you guys," Dowoon can't help but declare as he gets out of his seat, Jae drops a peck against his hair before he can sprint to the room where he'll be rooming with Sungjin and Jae for the night to retrieve his camera.

He clambers back outside to the patio, beginning to plan all his shots carefully and precisely behind his lens. "God, this place is dreamy," he breathes, mirroring the way Younghyun heaved a blissful sigh when they first entered the house. 

He tests the waters by first capturing the food from an angle he thinks best, and smiles down at the result. 

"I'll go click some shots of that tree," says Dowoon, walking away. "You can start without me."

He tries to act as if he's circling the tree to find the most perfect part of the tree lit up with fairy lights, when he is, in fact, trying to click candid shots of the others, especially those who he's in love with, so he can have the pictures to look back on when he misses them.

The truth is, Dowoon wanted them to go out on a trip during Christmas because he wants to spend as many joy-filled days with them as he can, before he packs his bags and heads off to a new city on a new photographic venture.

This is how his life has been for as long as he can remember. He travels from city to city and town to town for a span of 6 months, where he tries to capture as many memories and scenes as he can on his camera, before he gathers his limited luggage and travels to a different destination, and the routine repeats itself again.

His camera- his precious, as he likes to address her- is the only constant in his life. He tries his best not to mingle with the same people in each place for too long, or he knows it will be difficult for him to leave them behind and move on. He has always wanted to live this life of a free bird, and he has worked hard to achieve it. 

He has worked for different magazines and agencies where the heads/managers always find it hard to let him go easily after being used to and appreciating his quality work. On many occasions, he finds them offering to pay him an extra sum to make him stay, but for Dowoon, it has never been about the riches or wealth. 

What really drives him is the hunger to keep exploring, and learning and growing with every experience. He believes that staying in the same place for a prolonged period of time will never give him the opportunity to grow in the same way having to adjust in newer places will.

And so it goes- Dowoon leaves little bits of himself in all the places he visits, but he makes sure to take with him no part of the places he stays at. 

It wouldn't be a lie to say that this time- just this once- his heart seems to have made an exception.

For the first time, his heart aches at the thought of having to leave behind these people he has come to love and adore as much more than just friends or family. 

For the first time, Dowoon feels whole. His boys complete him in every way and form. He can no longer imagine a life without them.

For the first time, he's ready to leave this nomadic life behind and settle down with his boys. He wants to wake up to them everyday, share his first cup of coffee with Jae; ride the morning bus with Younghyun, come back home and play video games with Wonpil; and fall asleep in the safety of Sungjin's arms.

It's not that he has a self-imposed obligation- where he can't stop and settle down when he wishes- that he must fulfill at all cost. Dowoon knows that it's only natural for a human to grow attached to people and also fall in love. He knew a day like this would arrive sooner or later.

He didn't expect it to happen more sooner than later, and with four others, for that matter.

He wants a part in what they have, so bad, but he thinks he's being greedy and yearning for something that's worth a lot more than what he deserves. 

They have a perfect life together as it is, how exactly does Dowoon fit in the picture? Why would they want to spare him a glance when they're all perfectly content with their life and ongoing relationship?

Yes, they're always trying to include him in whatever they do, but how far will that go? He doesn't wish to intrude in their life any further.

As much as it hurts him, he thinks this is the best option for his own happiness and theirs. Sure he'll be spending a few sleepless nights, maybe even a month, but he'll eventually get around.

Staying with them longer will only worsen his heartache and yearning. He might end up spilling his secret out in the open, and that would be the last straw. He doesn't want them to know and despise the fact that his pathetic self couldn't keep his heart in its cage and it ended up falling for his roommates. He doesn't want them to hate him for developing romantic feelings for them when they're already leading a blissful love life.

He wants them to always remember him with a smile on their face- nothing but joyful memories must come to mind when they think of him when he's gone- and so he decided that what must done, must be done.

He'll leave before New Year's. He'll turn a new leaf the next year, far away from his boys. There will be no looking back. 

They don't know it yet. He has never actually sat them down and told them that he travels to new places every 6 months, and that he made an exception for them by living together with them for a whole year. 

He knows they won't be able to take it positively but he hopes they won't be too mad at him either. 

He's not sure how he's going to let them know just yet. His stomach churns in the most gut-wrenching way as he tries to keep putting off the thought. 

For now though, he has better and more pleasant things to focus on.

His camera's shutter silently goes off as he watches Younghyun, Jae and ahjumma share a hearty chuckle. Of course, he lets it focus more on Jae and Younghyun. Next he tries to click a pictures of Sungjin and Wonpil chase after Steve as he tries to skitter past the hot utensils of food places at the center of the table as Aara watches them in amusement. 

He wishes he could stop time and continue living with them just like that- without the fear of heartbreak- and never let anything come and crash his dream, but it's all just wishful thinking. It won't help to dream of the impossible. 

He's going to miss all of them terribly and doesn't think he can live without them ever again, but he supposes he'll survive- like he did before meeting them- he'll get through life. 

A tear cascades down his cheek without him realising it. He hates how the tears flow freely when he thinks about this 

"Dowoon-ah we're hungry. Hurry along already!" He hears Jae whine.

Hastefully, Dowoon manages to capture a few pictures of the tree and a few bushes surrounding him, so as to cover up his actual motive, before he sprints over to the table. 

"Let's dig in!" he cheers, grabbing a hold of his chopsticks. 

"This is delicious!" ahjumma Sunhee says, around a mouthful of mung bean pancake with a side of a special dipping sauce Jae put together using a bunch of sauces and seasoning as a last resort.

"Surprisingly…." Sungjin adds.

"When I was younger it was sort of a compulsion for women to learn how to cook and clean, men were exempted from learning such basic life skills. I'm glad you boys are able to put together such a delicious meal in such a short span of time. It's nice to see the changing times," says ahjumma.

"I'm in love with this barbeque'd chicken." Younghyun moans with a mouthful of food. "I could marry it."

"Hey! What about us?" Wonpil complains, teasingly.

"I love you too, babe," Younghyun replies with a cheeky smile. "All four of us?" Sungjin inquires, playing along. "Of course!" Younghyun retorts without missing a beat. "More than you know."

"Awww our mushy baby." Jae coos. "I love you too."

One would expect some as old as ahjumma Sunhee to intervene during such a conversation that would definitely raise some eyebrows among outsiders but she doesn't ready much as she tries some of the bbibimbap.

"Why are you so silent little one?" Sungjin turns his gaze towards Aara. "I'm just…. observing you." She bites back a grin threatening to escape her.

"Whatever floats your boat."

"Um….. ahjumma…." starts Wonpil timidly. Ahjumma Sunhee lets out a low hum in reply. 

"Whom does the grand piano in the living room belong to?" He asks in a small voice.

"That- it belongs to my late husband." She flashes Wonpil a bittersweet smile. "Ever since he passed away it's been kept locked. I wish someone could play a little something to warm my rusty, old heart." She sighs, playing with the rice in her bowl.

"Do you mind if I play it tonight?" Wonpil asks, this time a little more bravely.

"I'd love that, son." 

And that's how the group of seven people plus a chameleon found themselves jamming to Christmas carols and a bunch of other songs by the grand piano.

Somewhere as time passed by, Sungjin couldn't hold back his urge to play the guitar as an accompaniment along with Wonpil. He's glad he brought one of his guitars along with him, adding to the cheerful ambience of the night.

Dowoon and Aara follow a weird dance ritual a few metres away from the elders as the songs turn more upbeat, not being able to resist the sudden rush of adrenaline pumping through their veins.

It surprises the others at first, since this first time in two days that she's shown an ounce of excitement in anything whatsoever, but soon they get lost in the enjoyment as the music sets the mood right and everyone lets loose.

The Christmas carols soon turn into some of their favourite pop songs. Dowoon alternates between drumming his fingers and palm against a wooden chair and the coffee table; and dancing with Aara. They try to imitate a few popular hook steps from the songs but miserably fail at it, making a major mess of themselves. 

Neither mind the chuckles it elicits from the people around them as they pull Jae and Sungjin- since Younghyun has long since stolen his guitar duty from the elder as he accompanies Wonpil in playing the music- along with them to dance. 

Dowoon has often heard the men call Sungjin the number one freestyler amongst them, but Dowoon had never witnessed the man's killer moves himself until now. And, now that he has come to witness it first-hand, he feels a massive amount of second-hand embarrassment at how aggressively the man tries to do his moves. 

At least an hour or so into the jamming session, ahjumma Sunhee says they can continue without her as she begins to feel too tired to go on.

The music gets slower in her absence. Younghyun takes Sungjin by the hand and they wrap their arms around each other while their bodies sway from side to side in sync with the slow piano music. Sungjin rests his head against Younghyun's chest and hums along to the music as Younghyun runs his fingers through the elder's hair.

Jae volunteers to play the piano just so Wonpil can have some time to himself and let the serenity in the atmosphere calm him down. Wonpil doesn't miss a beat to pull Dowoon on his feet and they fall into a slow rhythm as Wonpil lets Dowoon lead the slow dance. 

To Dowoon, it feels like sharing an intimate moment that is too pure to be put into words. Yet, his heart knows better than to think of it as something more than what it really means- a platonic dance with Wonpil, so Dowoon doesn't feel out of place once more.

From the corner of his eyes, he sees Aara look back at him with melancholic glint in her eyes. She flashes him a solemn smile with a nod of her head.

That's when Jae shuts off the piano.

"We've got a lot more things planned for Christmas, so it's imperative that we get adequate sleep tonight," he says, taking Sungjin and Dowoon by the hand. 

The boyfriends share warm hugs and pepper kisses on each other's face before bidding each other goodnight and breaking off into different directions. 

Aara doesn't follow Wonpil and Younghyun without hugging Dowoon once. "Merry Christmas!" she mumbles, before running off after Wonpil, leaving Dowoon confused. 

  
  
  
  


Maybe it's the sugar rush or probably just the nerves, but Dowoon just can't seem to fall asleep despite having tired himself out today. He pulls on his favourite hoodie stolen from Sungjin over his head and stealthily navigates his way to house's terrace at around 1am.

It's a lot cold up here, he realises as soon as he's out in the open. He stuffs his hands into his pockets and walks towards the edge. He can see the frozen lake from here, or at least he thinks he does. It's hard to tell with certainty since it's pretty dark outside, save for the area lit up by the street lamp right outside the house.

He should be sleeping. He knows he'll be drowsy throughout the last day of the trip if he tries to run on little sleep, but the million contradicting thoughts running in his head are keeping him up.

He wishes that a miracle could manifest itself in his life and magically put him out of his misery. If only real life were as easy as fiction.

"I'm here."

Dowoon stiffly swivels his body around to find Aara dressed in her nightwear and hoodie covering her hair stand by the terrace's entrance.

"Why are you still up?"

"I could ask you the same."

"I'm being a worrier- just another of the many routine things adults do. You don't have to worry about it just," says Dowoon, ruffling Aara's already mussed up hair. "You should go back to sleep."

"Nah. I'd rather just look over this place and enjoy these moments in their purest form." Aara sweeps her gaze over a clutter of houses located at a distance from the house they're currently residing at. "Who knows when I might get another chance like this one?" she shrugs.

Steve hops off her shoulder and slides down her arm and onto the railing that Aara and Dowoon are holding onto. He slithers his way up Dowoon's arm and perches himself on his head with a satisfied low whistle.

"Can he stop doing this?" Dowoon cringes before trying to thumb at Steve's back and tail.

"He likes you a lot," replies Aara.

"If you say so," Dowoon nods.

"Why are you hiding it from them?" Aara's brows furrow immensely as she quizically looks up at Dowoon. "You need to tell them the truth."

"What are you talking about?" Dowoon inquires, confused.

"That you love Jae, Sungjin, Younghyun and Wonpil unconditionally and you want to date them," Aara replies.

"Wh- How- I-" Dowoon stumbles on his words. He obviously realised that Aara is a very observant and perceptive little girl but, how is it that she caught on so quickly when the men question haven't realised it in the past few months.

"Don't ask me how I know. I just do."

Dowoon falls silent owing to his muddled brain, now thrown more off the loop since Aara knows his secret too.

That makes him wonder if the others may have actually figured it out already but they have been pretending to not know.  _ No, he can't let them know. Not now, not ever. _

"You can't let them know, okay? I can't let them know. It's complicated," he mumbles incoherently, scrambling away from her, wanting to hide away in embarrassment.

"Stop running away from your problems, Yoon Dowoon," she yells after him, making him stop in his tracks. The weight of her words and his own overbearing emotions gets too heavy for him to bear, making his feet buckle under him before he can cross the tables set together in the middle of the terrace floor. 

Steve ascends down and onto his shoulder, nuzzling his head against Dowoon's jaw in a way that in human terms would mean that he's trying to comfort Dowoon. 

Aara rushes after him, helping him back to his feet and onto the chairs not too far from them. Dowoon leans his body heavily against the chair, and blinks at Aara. 

"I should've never come here. I should've left 6 months ago just like I always do. I should've stuck to the plan," he mumbles, with his fingers frantically pushing his hair away from his forehead.

"Don't you think they love you just as much you love them?"

"I know they don't. They're just really kind and affectionate souls that have strictly platonic love to spare me. I'll make do with whatever I have with them for now. I'll be leaving the city before New Year's, anyway. Before that, I'll collect as many merry memories with them as humanly possible, and store them in my heart for as long as I can. I don't want to stain our memories with bitterness." Overwhelmed with all his emotions, tears sting at Dowoon's eyes as he reminiscences all the months he has spent with his four roommates who have now come to be the most important people in his life.

"Don't you think it's at least worth a try? You wouldn't want to regret not telling them later," Aara proposes. "They love you too much to let something like this cause a riff between them and you. I've seen it in their eyes. I've observed them enough to be confident when I say this."

"I've made up my mind already," says Dowoon, his voice shaky with the unshed tears. "I'll die with this secret."

A shooting star crosses the sky a few moments later. Dowoon leaves Aara behind and walks over to the edge, curiously gazing up the celestial body. 

_ I wish that my boys can have all the happiness in life and no matter what path they venture into, i hope they always prosper. _

  
  
  


Leaving ahjumma Sunhee's the next morning was quite a task in itself. Wonpil made sure to help her engage in a video call with her son, his wife and kids for as long as she wanted while the others tidied up the house and packed their bags after having cleaned up after themselves post-breakfast.

They tasted her special chocolate cupcakes for breakfast along with some leftover ice-cream from the previous night. All in all, they were high on a sugar rush after the hearty breakfast and now they can't wait to hit the road once more.

It was quite bittersweet for them as they all wrapped ahjumma Sunhee in hugs and each one asked her to take good care of herself and keep warm. Wonpil was the last one to leave. He hugged for a good few minutes, inhaling her warm, homely scent as he stayed with his arms wrapped around her. 

"Take care, ahjumma. We'll try and visit you sometime," Wonpil croaks out, holding back a choked sob. He misses his own ahjumma a lot.

"Don't cry, sweetie. You're a good boy." She pats his head and beckons him to follow his boyfriends, asking him not to waste too much time.

Despite his tears, Wonpil flashes her a bright grin as best as he can and waves at her before seating himself beside Sungjin and buries his face into his neck. 

They share a few final goodbyes and wave ahjumma Sunhee goodbye.


	3. Chapter 3

The special art gallery exhibition on the occasion of Christmas on the outskirts of Seoul welcomes them with warm hospitality and a joyous ambience.

As they enter, Dowoon clutches Sungjin and Aara's hands tighter with all the excitement pumping in his blood. He wishes they'd have allowed him to bring his camera along, but it's only natural that they didn't.

The sculptures and paintings hung all around them are breathtaking, to say the least. The detailed artistry and the precision with which the exhibits have been created, shines through at first glance.

Dowoon feels like happily prancing from one piece to another and grasp all its beauty in all his endless glory without being bound by the shackles of time. If only he could.

Younghyun leads them around with a practiced sense of familiarity, since he visits this place every other year and says that he gets progressively awestruck each year- the beauty of the exhibits hold such power.

Aara makes it a point to keep asking questions about each exhibit that leave Younghyun speechless for a few moments as he thinks of a suitable answer. All in all, it turns out to be a very educational experience with her by their side.

Wonpil, surprisingly has done a lot more research than Younghyun about the place and he's able to answer her questions a lot better, leaving Younghyun flabbergasted yet pleased at the younger.

Somewhere along the way, Steve bounces off of Aara's shoulder and gets lost in the hustling and bustling crowd of people swarming back and forth between the different rooms, and then somehow materialises back in his place like nothing happened.

Aara was questionably calm regarding the whole situation like she's used to him appearing out of thin air, which she probably is, given the fact that the girl herself does not seem like the average 8 year old that Dowoon tends to come across ever so often.

Something about her is different. She really stands out in the crowd. Not just in terms of the way she speaks like an adult or the fact that she isn't mischievous as most kids her age would be. 

It's in the way that she carries herself and is quick to analyse people and provide solutions with a practiced precision like she has done so all her life. She can somehow sense a problem before it manifests itself, like she did when she told ahjumma Sunhee that the blankets given to the men wouldn't suffice, even before she entered any of the bedrooms.

He would've thought that she's an android until he saw Aara laugh, look concerned and cry within the last few hours. In all honesty, he found her a little weird at first, but maybe that just had to do with the fact that she had to travel around with strangers because her family is stuck in a whole different city with no familiar face for her to turn to.

He's not sure about the others but Dowoon knows he would take a lot of time to open up to the others if he were in a similar situation to her, so it makes sense as to why she was quite judgemental of them at first and she slowly began to peel all those layers and warmed up to them.

But, the point still remains- Aara is _different._

He supposes it will be a little hard for him (and the others) to part ways with her after all the shenanigans she's been a part of with them, and a few more to come. He hopes she had just as much fun with them as they've had with her.

She happily giggles as Sungjin and Jae join in on her curiosity and ask the most wack questions as they can, making Wonpil huff at them and walk off without them as Younghyun tries to bite back his laughter.

"Stop annoying my hyung!" Dowoon exclaims, running off after Wonpil. "I'm the only one who's allowed to do it, right?" he teases.

"Aara let's go. These fools don't need us." Wonpil peels Dowoon's hands off of his shoulder, narrows his eyes at the others before dragging a curious Aara behind him.

The others quickly follow along, chuckling after their _bunny,_ as they like to call him. 

"Can I have the honour of kissing this upset pout away?" Sungjin gently holds Wonpil's hands in his own. 

Wonpil huffs once more, turning his gaze away. It's clear as day that he has melted inside already as he hides a shy smile. "Do I know you?" he bites back.

"I'm your boyfriend. The boyfriend you love the most and went on a secret rendezvous with while the others were fast asleep, so that we could share one bottle of strawberry milk under the starry skies," Sungjin breathes, closing the gap between them step by step.

"I hate you," Wonpil mumbles, pulling the man in for a warm and welcoming open-mouthed kiss- that they share before a long line of people waiting to view the next exhibition, by the way. Unlucky for the others, neither breaks away from the kiss even when the kiss turns a little more heated than what would be appropriate in public.

Dowoon coughs a little, his face burns red as a low moan escapes Sungjin, ultimately making him pull apart from Wonpil in surprise, not before Dowoon and Younghyun tug Aara far away from the two.

"We're at a goddamn art gallery, you fuckers!" Jae yells, annoyed as he seperates the two flushed men far away from each other by their collar, just the way a cat carries her kids around by the neck.

"Sungjin hyung is to blame. I was going for a short peck," Wonpil points an accusatory finger in Sungjin's direction. "I'm sorry. I got carried away," Sungjin replies as embarrassedly rubs his neck.

"You're going to apologise to Dowoon and Aara right now. Am I clear?" Jae glares at them, his eyes a hazel sliver.

Aara looks at them just the same, as if she didn't witness the two making out a few moments ago. "I'm sorry Aara and Dowoon," Sungjin mutters.

" I can't help it when art makes me horny, " he mumbles within Dowoon's earshot, making Dowoon choke on air for the nth time.

  
  
  
  


"Before we go watch the fireworks, I have some gifts to share with you guys…."

"Oh shit! Dowoon-ah you didn't really have to."

"But, I did."

Dowoon reaches into his bag to pull out a small bag full of boxes and trinkets to hand out to his boys.

"Thank you for making this year a great one for me," he says. "I've never been more content."

"What are you being so mushy for?" Wonpil coos, ruffling his hair and then proceeds to unwrap his gift carefully. The others do the same. 

Earnest nervousness lies thick in the air as Dowoon waits to see their reaction to his gift. In all honesty, he doesn't know how, but he'd forgotten all about packing his presents well in advance. When they'd stopped by the shopping centre to buy Aara some winter wear yesterday, they happened to split up and shop for themselves for around an hour or so. 

That's when Dowoon realised that he forgot all about their presents and quickly scanned a few other clothing and shoes stores to find something apt he could buy for the others. It took him a while to settle on one thing though. 

He knows they'd appreciate just about everything, from handwritten letters to old vinyl records since they are still, at heart, music enthusiasts first, humans second. 

All throughout the month, Dowoon had tried to speak to each one on multiple occasions and sneakily tried to figure out what is it that they like best, and what exactly he could give them. He realised that the sky is endless and as time passes by, the gift itself doesn't really matter as much as the heartfelt feelings put into preparing it- is what each of them thought.

Which is valid, of course. They say they've got everything they ever wished for- a stable economic life, an unimaginably perfect love life and Dowoon, though Dowoon's not so sure why Sungjin added the last part, leaving Dowoon red and running away from him.

After a lot of wandering and scouring, he finally settled on the gifts he'd like to give them. He hopes they'll be content with it.

Sungjin gasps

  
  
  


They park the car outside the archway of the massive park adorned with Christmas lights. There aren't too many people gathered around just yet, probably owing to the initial fireworks at midnight. 

It makes things more convenient for them as they won't have a difficult time to find themselves a nice spot. The snow lies thick under their feet as they cruise around together hand-in-hand, killing time together.

This is their last activity today before they drive Aara to Seoul where the climate is seemingly a lot better now, so she can finally reunite with her parents.

Aara points towards a medium-sized Christmas tree, wanting them to click a few pictures under it. Jae runs along right beside her, beckoning the others closer after them.

"I have a plan." His hands trace the foldable ladder leaning against the tree. "We need to help Aara onto this ladder, let her displace the star and ask someone to take pictures of us around it."

"Are you bonkers? This is public property." Sungjin massages the tight spot between his brows. He knows that no matter what he says, Jae's going to do his own thing, since once he puts his mid to something he won't rest until it's done.

And, this time it is disturbing public order, which Sungjin wants no part in.

Or so he thought.

As the others give Jae's plan a positive nod without hesitation, Sungjin, after a lot of coercion, is tasked with being the one responsible to help Aara carefully climb the ladder. He grumbles and groans a lot before each of his boyfriends land pecks all over his face, making him giggle and push them away. He agrees to the task not before threatening to leave them be by themselves if they get caught and charged for vandalism or whatever it is that this is considered.

"Handcuffs sexy," Younghyun whispers, bumping his hip against Sungjin, pushing him over towards the ladder. Sungjin rolls his eyes in response before tugging a cheerful Aara by his side.

The ladder she climbs is the kind that looks like a foldable chair at its halfway length. Hence, Aara has enough space to comfortably stand on it without having to fear that she might fall over if she reached too far. The height is just perfect. She has to lean her head forward only about an inch or so until she can conveniently rest her chin against the top of the tree.

She smugly sweeps off the star at the top and leans her head against it. "Isn't it perfect now?" She inquires, cheesing at Dowoon.

"Absolutely!" remarks Dowoon, smiling just as wide as her.

"Now we need to ask someone to click some pictures of us," says Wonpil.

"I'm right here." Dowoon pulls his camera out of its camera case and scans the area behind its lens.

"We want you in the picture, dumbass," Younghyun lightly knocks his knuckles against Dowoon's forehead.

They ask a family of three to stop by and click a few pictures of them if they don't mind. The husband gladly agrees, not without first wondering if it's safe for them to do it. Jae, ever the best at bullshitting, takes it upon himself to ask them to rest assured, and that he'll volunteer to take pictures of him with his wife and son against the tree just the same. The man awkwardly chuckles and declines his offer. 

Dowoon, as dramatic as it sounds, finds it hard to hand his precious to a complete stranger. He doesn't like anyone else touching it, ever. Although, he's sure he's going to be laughing his ass off at this scene for ever having felt possessive over an inanimate object.

"I'm going to stand beside Dowoon."

"No, me. I know he'll agree."

Dowoon feels his face heat up as the men argue over who gets to pose beside Dowoon for the pictures. 

He's never been showered with as much attention as he does with them. He's a photographer, after all. He's the one supposed to work behind the scene, far out of focus of the general eye. He's the eye that focuses on its subject rather than being the main point of focus.

But, with his boys, he feels a lot more important than just that.

After tons of bickering, that Dowoon tunes out mostly, the four men around Dowoon figure out a way to stand next to him all in one picture.

Sungjin and Younghyun stand on either side of him; Jae tiptoes up behind him, placing his chin on Dowoon's head and hugs the younger, and Wonpil bends his knees just a little, so Dowoon isn't left hidden behind him and proceeds to make Dowoon wrap his arms around Wonpil's waist.

"Is this comfortable enough for you, bub? Do you want us to give you more space?" Jae inquires, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"No worries. I'm good" _great even,_ adds Dowoon in his head. Steve settles on Dowoon's shoulder snuggly, resting his head close to Dowoon's cheek. Younghyun caresses him lovingly before facing the camera.

Jae signals the man to start clicking pictures of them. They alternate between laying their head against Dowoon; making dorky faces; and posing with peace signs and thumbs up. 

"Aara do you want to join this impromptu cuddle pile?" Younghyun inquires, helping her off the ladder. Aara shrugs before running over to the others. 

Their poses get dorkier as Aara joins them. She gives the camera a toothy grin as she dangles from the arms of Sungjin and Younghyun's as they flex their arms comically for the picture.

Jae, Wonpil and Dowoon get on their knees around her as they raise their hands beside them as if you say _All hail Aara,_ as Aara hooks her hands against her tilted hip and poses with an upturned chin (a pair of shades are the only thing missing from making her look more gangsta).

They take a few more dumb pictures like this until the sound of the fireworks being lit up resounds behind them. They thank the man for being generous and wish his family a very merry Christmas.

Dowoon stalks closer to a bench farther inside the park and climbs it. 

As the fireworks begin appearing in the night sky, Dowoon positions his camera before him and tries to capture the patterns illuminating the pitch darkness of the sky.

Occasionally, when he doesn't think the others are looking, Dowoon captures a few shots of the crowd of people scattered all around them. 

He watches Sungjin's eyes light up as he leans his head against Jae's chest and rubs circles on the elder man's arms, he stealthily captures it on his camera. 

Somewhere beside them Wonpil helped Aara climb Younghyun's broad shoulders and sit on it so she can have a better view of the sky. Dowoon makes sure to take captivating pictures of the trio as well.

Steve crawls over and perches himself against the back of Dowoon's palm when Dowoon takes a moment to appreciate the fireworks in the sky. 

"You deserve a solo shot," Dowoon coos at him.

It takes him a while to adjust the camera's focus with the way Steve keeps moving his head, but when he finally stops, Steve looks directly at the lens and tuts his mouth into an upward curvy line that resembles a smile. It makes Dowoon grin behind the lens as he manages to capture some aesthetic pictures of the chameleon with the pretty sky illuminated by fireworks in the background.

"Let's go?" Younghyun inquires, patting his shoulder.

Dowoon nods. 

  
  


"He's not here yet?"

The quintet along with Aara were supposed to meet Aara's father outside an abandoned playground, as decided previously. It has been a little over 45 minutes, but there has been no sign of the man so far.

"He will be." Aara replies nervously.

"Aara, tell me, are you hiding something from us?"Dowoon inquires.

"Look. Just leave me here by myself and go off on your way. I'm sure they'll be here in no time." Aara has been really fidgety ever since they got here, almost as if she's waiting to get rid of them quickly or she'll be in trouble.

"Do I look stupid to you? I can tell you're stalling." Dowoon adds.

"No, you actually _are_ stupid." Aara retorts sharply.

"The name calling isn't going to save you." Dowoon narrows his eyes. "Now spill."

"Trust me, you don't actually want to know the truth."

"And that's where you're wrong." Jae counters.

"Stop beating around the bush, child." Sungjin supplies.

"You materialise in a locked car out if thin air with a backstory straight out of a movie- it's literally the script of home alone- you can't convince us otherwise; boss us around in that know-it-all sort of way and you _do_ know your way around; stole four ugly pink sweaters to go with the one that Wonpil bought yesterday along with the ikea shark without anyone noticing; and now your hair turned auburn on its own." Dowoon carefully ticks off each peculiar tthing that happened in the span of two days.

"We're not leaving until you tell us what's up." Wonpil threatens.

"Looks like you've all picked up many signs along the way and aren't as dumb as I'd concluded," Aara heaves a defeated sigh. "Imaguardianangelbutimterriblyfailing."

"What!? I couldn't understand a single word. For the love of Christ, slow down."

"I….." For the first time, it appears as if Aara is at a loss for words.

"I'm a guardian angel," she explains after a long pause. "His guardian angel, specifically," she adds, pointing at Dowoon. "I'm here to assist, or guide him- as you'd like to put it, if you like torturing people with puns- in the right direction so he can achieve a specific goal locked deep in his core."

"Ahahaha you can't be serio-"

Sungjin is cut off when he can no longer feel the back of his tongue. Before the men can register anything, Aara sheds her muffler and jacket onto the ground and her skin begins to glow. Little by little, scales that look too much like little eyeballs stating straight into your soul appear on her skin; she grows five sizes larger; and her face morphs into an unrecognisable form that terrifies the hell out of them.

Jae lets out a blood-curdling shriek and clutches onto Sungjin and Younghyun's arms tightly, his nails are sure to leave imprints on them as he hears Younghyun wince, but he can't bring himself to care. 

In about a minute, Aara morphs back into her human form and cheeses hard at them. "Wanna say that again little bear?"

"N- no. I'm sorry."

"You were right. Angels have a terrifying appearance." Jae breathes.

"But…..what task were you talking about?" Dowoon tilts his head.

"We spoke about it on the terrace last night."

Dowoon's eyes threaten to pop out of its socket. "Oh- fu- no. Why that?" 

"Listen, I could watch and bear only so much." Aara replies curtly.

"Wh- what's going on? What task? Dowoon what's this important goal?" Sungjin inquires.

"It's nothing, really. Just some dumb thing, I swear. Ahahaha let's just move into a different topic."

"Okay…..If you say so." 

"So then, is Santa real?" Wonpil inquires.

" _Was._ He was a plain guy- a mere mortal- like you guys, who wanted to help people and gift a smile, but that's about it. He doesn't exist anymore. Everything else is a sham now."

"Awww...." Wonpil pouts dejectedly.

"Did you really think that a pudgy old man would slide down your chimney because he reads your mind and also monitors your activities all day everyday?" Sungjin chuckles.

"No!" protests Wonpil. "I just wanted to know if chivalry is still real."

"By the way, now that we're on this topic," Jae starts. "I just admit that for the longest time I thought that _I saw mummy kissing Santa Claus_ was actually about the child accidentally unwrapping their mother's scandalous extra-marital affair, but I later found out that it's supposedly the father dressed as Santa. In hindsight, I don't know why I didn't think the same when that's the easiest and most convincing option of the two."

"Well, your mind sure works in fascinating ways."

"Now, let's not stray off-track." says Wonpil.

"Do all of us have guardian angels?" Younghyun asks.

"Of course! Just don't ask me if you'll ever be able to meet them. I'm not friends with any of them. More importantly, you get to do it once in a lifetime and only when your guardian angel thinks you're in dire need of help."

"That sucks bigtime." Jae boos.

"Why'd you choose this skin though. The form of a young girl, I mean?"

"I knew it wouldn't be hard for me to gain your trust this way." Aara tells Dowoon.

"Ah, cunning little angel," comments Sungjin.

"I'm 200 years old, actually."

"Hold up what-" Younghyun gasps.

"Anyway, what kind of sticky situation is our Dowoonie stuck in for you to be here before us?" Sungjin quirks an eyrbrey in question.

"I'd say that he'd explain it better than me, but he's a coward, so I guess you'll just never know." Aara looks at Dowoon pointedly. 

"Dowoon?" Jae tries.

"It's nothing major. Just my mind being kinda….dumb, I guess?"

"It's nothing major. Just my mind being kinda….dumb, I guess?" Dowoon tries stalling again. "But where's Steve?"

"Remember my father? That's actually Steve. He's my apprentice who also happens to be an animagus," Aara explains.

"I'm going to go back home and sleep for one whole day. All of this feels too unreal," Sungjin mumbles to himself, flabbergasted.

"So then…." Younghyun starts, the gears in his mind shifting a little out of control. "The house that we stayed at- was it all fake?"

"It was a set-up," Aara replies sheepishly. "I need a catalyst to increase the potential success of my goal. I needed Dowoon to experience living in a luxurious home with the ones he loves the most, so he would change his mind and give up wanting to move out."

"Move out?" Sungjin glances towards Dowoon with a look of betrayal and hurt flashing across his face.

"Aara why the fuck would you- I wanted to break the news at my own pace?" Dowoon spits out venomously, glaring at her.

"Oops."

Now that his secret is already out in the open, Dowoon decides to explain his situation completely, minus the fact that he's in love. The responses he gets are a mix of hurt, understanding and-

"Is there no way for you to stay back?" Jae sounds broken.

"Please…." Younghyun swallows the lump in his throat.

"I can't stay back, okay? I'm in love with the four of you, and it's killing me knowing that you don't love me just the same. I'm doing this because I'm weak. I'm a coward." Dowoon swallows a few unshed tears. "I don't want to cause a hindrance in this relationship the four of you have worked so hard to build. This is for the best."

"You fool! You absolute buffoon!" Sungjin tugs the man into his chest and squeezes him in his arms. Dowoon feels a few more pairs of arms around him, but all he can do is try to control his hysterical sobs before he can make a bigger mess of himself. He's sure he's getting snot on Sungjin's shirt as it is.

"If you tried to confide in at least one of us, you'd know just how whipped we are for you," Wonpil whispers, brushing away the hair matted against his forehead. 

"In a platonic way, I know," Dowoon replies between hiccups.

"Yoon Dowoon if you don't shut up right now, I'll kiss you till you drop to the ground gasping for breath." Jae grabs his collar. "I'm in love with you, dumbass."

A chorus of  _ so are we  _ sounds around them.

"You see this…." Younghyun grabs a hold of Dowoon's right hand and places something in his fist. 

Dowoon opens his fist to find a key safely tucked in it. He quizically stares back at Younghyun who gazes at him with nothing but a doting gaze.

"This is our Christmas present for you. We're moving into a new house and we want you to move in with us." Younghyun explains. "Somehow your charm made us fall head over heels in love with you, Dowoon.

"Wait, aren't we skipping at least five stages in between? What happened to properly asking me out and waiting for a ' _ yes'? _ " Dowoon jokes, wiping his tears with the sleeves of his hoodie. 

"We started off as roommates. Now all we gotta do is speedrun through it," Jae replies smugly.

"What makes you think I'd date you-" Dowoon scrunches his nose with fake disgust. ".... or any of you."

"You know you want this," Wonpil struts over to him, pulling him closer by the waist, a teasing smirk on his face as he draws his face closer to Dowoon.

"Hey look-" Sungjin points above them. "Mistlefoe." A curled vine of mistletoe hangs suspended in the air above them. Dowoon thinks it's Aara's doing. He blushes as he averts Sungjin's gaze.

"It's mistletoe, Sungjinnie." Jae punches his cheeks affectionately. 

"Mistlefoe cause he says he won't date us." Sungjin fake-pouts. 

"Great. One person less for Dowoon to kiss under the mistletoe," Younghyun adds onto the banter. "Dowoon-ah Pico me first," Wonpil adds as he tries to make Younghyun deck his head farther away from Dowoon.

"Fine, go ahead and kiss him but I'm next in line," Jae adds.

And so- 

Dowoon shares his first kisses with the quartet under the mistletoe. Each one brings out a different feeling in him, but it's all love. 

Jae initiates a peck first to test the waters and his comfort. Seconds later, Dowoon finds his mouth reaching forward by itself as he searches for the warmth of Jae's mouth. Jae lets Dowoon take the lead. Dowoon feels like a mushy mess inside. 

When they part, Sungjin is the one to go next. Always used to being the one to monitor the others, Sungjin takes the lead this time as they lips meet in a short kiss. Sungjin smiles against his lips before it ends. 

When it's Younghyun's turn, he's the gentlest of the tree. He caresses the back of Dowoon's neck as they share a short kiss and ends it with a small peck against the tip of Dowoon's nose. 

Wonpil, being the final one, takes the longest time. He takes his own sweet time as they share a long passionate kiss. Dowoon feels like his knees might give out by the end of it. 

They give Dowoon some time to snap out of it as he stares at them in a daze. The others share long hugs and passionate kisses in the meantime as snowflakes begin descending from the skies, creating a thick, chilly atmosphere around them. 

Dowoon feels like his heart is going to burst out of his chest with the sudden influx of affection flooding his heart. He's overwhelmed with love for them till the point that he feels like punching himself for not having confessed sooner. Things could've been so much easier. 

Dowoon inhales a deep breath. "Aara...." he starts as he swivels around in her general direction, but in vain. She appears nowhere in sight. 

That's when he sees a sticky note lying next to his feet. He picks it up and examines it.

  
  


_ [ ] _

_ I know how hard it is to find love in this world. I  _

_ hope you'll hold on tight and never let go of  _

_ them. Don't ever be a coward again, yeah? _

  
  


_ Merry Christmas!  _

__

_ From : Aara _

_ [ ] _

  
  
  
  
  
  


**_Bonus :_ **

  
  


Aara goes back to the underworld, waiting for the time she'll go to the earth in search of another lovesick heart wanting to find true love.

She throws her cape back and trudges down the dark path, towards the clear pond reflecting the other side- the good side- heaven, just so she can find a glimpse of her true love.

They can't reunite. Not now, at least.

But she'll keep patiently waiting.

Her next earthly venture might just be her last one. She knows her subordinate feels a creeping suspicion against her, since she disappears right around the same time every year. 

She's supposed to be on the bad side- hell- and she can't ever bring herself to do much bad other than a few mischievous stunts here and there, but she's stuck here with the others.

Having been torn apart from her one true love made the fire in the pit of her core burn agonisingly hot but with time it seered and cooled down. Her love had asked her to stay strong and to keep doing good until they reunite.

And that's how Aara's holiday tradition began, in hopes that maybe she'll be able to help others find love, if not feel it herself.

But them-

The pond illuminates. First around the edges, a faint glow appears, slowly the entire body lights up, blinding Aara for a few moments.

_ "Aara, I'm here. I made it. We made it." _


End file.
